Ian Thorpe's long-standing short course world record in the 200 meters freestyle has been broken as German Paul Biedermann clocked 1:40.83 at the World Cup meeting on Sunday.

Paul Biedermann of Germany reacts after his men's 200m freestyle final at the European Swimming Championships in Eindhoven March 20, 2008. [Xinhua/Reuters]

Biedermann's time cut 0.27 seconds off Thorpe's eight-year-old mark, which was also set in Berlin in February 2000.

It was one of three world records to fall on day two of the event as American Randall Bal broke the four-day old short course world record for the 50m backstroke with a time of 22.87, also on Sunday.

The former record of the 50m backstroke was 23.05 seconds, set by Bal's American teammate Peter Marshall last Wednesday in Stockholm.

Australian Marieke Guehrer broke an equally short lived world record, clocking 24.99 in the women's 50m butterfly to go well inside the time of 25.31 set by Therese Alshammar of Sweden this week.

(Xinhua News Agency November 17, 2008)